Device for straightening the welts of socks preparatory to a boarding operation



1 o, m .m o, W 3 m uw cO-N2 o ,FT- 0T mm uw RW JEM emr Z Amm LmB @mm WGT .mY wm am o Fm ER CP m 2 n l 3 1 l uv n 2 M y d .m m la F Fagl.

July 2, 1963 .1. w. GLAzE, JR 3,096,006

DEVICE FOR STRAIGHTENING THE WELTS 0F socxs PREPARATORY To A BOARDING OPERATION Filed March 1, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F125 4" WV United States Patent @tice Sghhb Eatented .italy l2, 1963 DEVICE FR STRAIGHTENING TEE WELTS F SOCKS lREPARA'l-FORY T@ A BARDHNG OPTA ATIN John W. Glaze, Jr., Charlotte, N.C., assigner to Antoboard Corporation, Chariotte, NE., a company of North Carolina Filed Mar. 1, 1962, Ser. No. 176,666 Claims priority, application Great Britain Mar. 17, 196i. 8 Claims. (Cl. 223-66) This invention appertains to devices for straightening the welts of socks preparatory to the latter being boarded by passage through a boarding or vinishing machine or apparatus.

As well known to those acquainted with the art concerned, a boarding machine or apparatus, for either preboarding or post-boarding, is one wherein boarding forms, on to which can be pulled stockings, half hose, socks or like articles to be treated, are caused to travel in a prescribed path through a boarding chamber in which the individually supported articles `are subject to a fluid treatment phase for the purpose of setting them to the shape of the forms. The iluid treatment phase may involve the supply of steam into or/ and the exhaustion of steam from the boarding chamber, `although it may alternatively consist of guiding on to the forms a flow of air issuing from a blower and heated lby steam coils. ln such a boarding or nishing machine or apparatus, moreover, the forms are mounted either on a carriage or on a conveyor which is arranged to travel through an elongated opening into the boarding chamber.

One particular -form of automatic boarding or finishing machine is described in U.S. Patent application Serial No. 15,132 tiled March l5, 1960, now Patent No. 3,054,- 542, granted September 18, i962.

The term socks hereinafter employed in defining and exemplifying this invention is used in a generic sense to include so-called half hose and any other appropriate kind Vof knitted articles of footwear in connection with which the devices provided by this invention can advantageously be adopted.

In this regard, however, it is to be clearly understood that the devices constitutin 7 this invention are only applicable for use when boarding socks made without elastic or equivalent tops. Now heretofore when such un-elasticised socks are pulled on to boarding forms the tops tend to balloon out or/ and curl outwardly-a condition which naturally precludes satisfactory boarding.

The object of the present invention is to provide for use in conjunction with a boarding or finishing machine or apparatus, a simple, efcient and economically produced device adapted to act on and to stretch or/and uncurl the welts of socks previously pulled on to forms in such a way `as to make these Iwelts lie flat against and conform closely to the shapes of the said forms prior to the latter moving into the boarding chamber.

It is in this sense that the term Welt straightening is used in this specication.

The device constituting the invention comprises in combination, a pair of welt `straightening rollers which are covered with a relatively soft, yielding material and are so arranged that a traveling form having a sock pulled on to it and just prior to entering the treatment chamber of a boarding machine or apparatus is passed edgewise between the said rollers, and means for rotating the rollers suchwise as to cause them to stroke the welt of the sock .at opposite sides of the form and in a direction away from the foot of the article. Any tendency of the welt to balloon out or/and curl outwardly is, therefore, counteracted by a straightening of the welt in the sense herebefore dened.

If, as will usually be the case, the traveling boarding forms are vertically disposed with their shaped foot portions uppermost, then the welt straightening rollers will stroke each sock welt downwardly thereby to some extent stretching it when conforming it to the corresponding form.

In any event, the plane of a flat form passing between the two welt straightening rollers is parallel to the aXes of the latter.

Thus, where the boarding lforms are vertical, the axes of the rollers may `advantageously be contained in a common horizontal plane.

To enable the invention to be more clearly understood and readily carried into practical eiect, specic constructional exam-ples of the improved welt-straightening device will now be described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, wherein,

'FIGURE 1 is `a front View of one form of the said device shown mounted upon a boarding chamber,

FIGURE 2 is a side View of the same as seen in the direction of the arrow A in FIGURE l,

FIGURE 3 is a detail perspective view illustrating the mounting bracket of the left-hand one of the two roller units,

FIGURE 4 is a detail plan View of one of the blocks whereby a vertical guide rod and a vertical rotary screw associated with the right-hand roller unit are mounted,

FlGURE 5 is a detail plan view of the carrier block for the motor bracket of the said right-hand unit, and

FlGURE 6 is a lgeneral perspective view of a modified form of the welt-straightening device.

Like parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the device in each of the two examples includes a pair of welt straightening rollers 1 and 2. 'Ihese are so arranged that a traveling form, such as that indicated at P in FIG- URE y6 and having a sock such as S pulled on to it, and just prior to passing through a narrow rvertical entry aperture 3 in one wall of a boarding chamber 4, is passed edgewise between the said rollers. The device also includes electric motors S and l6 for driving the rollers 1 and 2 in respectively opposite directions, indicated by the arrows B and C in FIGURE 1. ln this way, the rollers 1. and 2 are caused to stroke the welt W of the sock S at opposite sides of the form F in a downward direction away from the foot of the sock.

Preferably, the rollers l and 2 are covered with lambs wool since this is a very soft and yielding material capable of moving transversely over a sock welt with a gentle brushing action whilst at the same time lightly and yieldingly pressing the welt against opposite sides of a form. Such material, therefore, is kind to and cannot damage the knitted fabric of a sock. It is7 however, within the scope of the invention to cover the rollers with felt, cloth or any other appropriate soft, yieldable material which will not distort the individual libres in a sock.

The two welt straightening rollers 1 and 2 are driven independently-each from its separate electric motor. The motors 5 and 6 Vare preferably :of the low speed gear type.

In the specic example illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, the axis of each of the electric motors 5 `and 6 is disposed at right angles to the rotational axis of the corresponding roller, in which instance each roller spindle 7 is driven from the motor spindle 8, e.g. through worm gearing 9, 16. Any other appropriate intermediate gearing may, however, be employed. In the modification illustrated in FIGURE 6 the welt straightening rollers 1 and 2 and their respective motors 5 and 6 are co-aXial.

In each of the two illustrated examples, a common bracket or support is provided to carry each motor and the roller driven thereby.

` 21 are rotated.

Ei Inaccordance with an important feature of the invention, provision of any suitable character may be made for simultaneous adjustment of the two rollers together with their motors in a direction either towards or `away from the foot portions of the boarding forms F passmg edgewise between them so that the operator can adjust the device for the particular length of sock being board-ed. Manually operable rotary screw means may conveniently lbe provided for this purpose.

Additionally, the rollers Yare preferably so mounted that they can be laterally or otherwise adjusted relatively in order to vary the pressure exerted thereby against opposite sides of a sock passing therebetween. This additional provision would, in fact, be essential in cases where socks vary greatly in weights, one setting being necessary for very heavy socks and another for light socks. n i Constructional examples ofthe features broadly described in the last two paragraphs, and associated features will now be described in greater detail with reference to FIGURES 1 5.

As will be seen, each of the two independent electric motors 5 and 6 is supported upon a mounting bracket 11 of angular form which also carries the associated welt straightening roller 1 or 2. Each of the brackets 11 is rigidly secured, by screws 12, upon the front of a rectangular carrier block 13. Although the two carrier blocks 13 are generally similar in form, one is left-hand and the other right-hand. To enable the brackets 1l to be adjusted laterally in relation to the carrier blocks 13,

each such bracket has formed therein 1a pair of horizontal slots 14 through which the Vshanks of the screws 12 extend. Each carrier block 13 has formed therein at one side thereof a recess 15 of rectangular cross-section (see FIGURE 5) through which extends a plain verticalV guide rod lo of circular cross-section. The block 13, and hence the entire roller unit comprising the relevant welt straightening roller and its electric motor, is `freely slidable up and down the corresponding guide rod 16. At its opposite ends, each vertical guide rod i6 is formed with co-axial eccentrics 16a which are mounted to turn in hushed bearings 17 provided in a pair of small blocks 18 and 19 attached to the relevant wall of the boarding chamber 4. The purpose of these eccentrics will be hereinafter explained. Moreover, each carrier block 13 has formed therethrough, parallel to the recess 15, a bore 20 which is suitably tappedto receive a vertical rotary screw 21. This screw, which is Yparallel to the corresponding guide rod 16, has suitably reduced plain portions which are freely rotatable in bearings 22 and 23 provided in the upper and lower lxed blocks 18 and 19 respectively. Hence, the two rotary screws 2l, whilst rotatable in their bearings, are both prevented from any axial movement. At their upper ends Vthe reduced plain portions of the rotary screws VZ1 extend above the upper blocks 18 and have secured thereto chain wheels 24 around which is passed `a chain 25. Both chain wheelsZd are simultaneously rotatable by the turning of a handwheel 26 secured -to one of the screws V21'. Thus, according to the direction in which this handwheel 26 is turned, the mounting brackets 11, the motors 5 and 6 and the welt straightening rollers 1 and 2 will all'be raised or lowered, according to requirements. Thus, as will be appreciated, the tapped blocks 13 are in the nature of nuts which are raised and lowered according to the direction in which the screws Instead of chain wheels and a chain, pulleys and a belt or any lequivalent means may be provided for rotating the screws 21.

To vary theV pressure or tension between the rollers 1 and Z, the guide rods Yldwith their eccentrics 16a are made turnable within the bearings 17, the eiect of such turning movements being to pivot the blocks 13, and

. hence lthe entire Iroller units, about the rotary screws 21,

thereby either pulling the rollers'nearer together to tighten them or pushing them slightly away from one another to slacken them. To enable them to be turned, the eccentric rods 16 are furnished at their lower ends with levers 27. These levers are turned toward each other to increase and away from each other to decrease the roller tension. A screw 28 extending through one of the horizontal slots 14 in the corresponding mounting bracket il is arranged to impinge `on each of the rods 16 and is used to lock the rod in position after an adjustment. The modilied form of the device illustrated in FIGURE 6 is of a simpler and less developed form. In this case the motor brackets 29 are `simply slidable up and down vertical guide rods 16 to set the roller units heightwise.

The action of the device of this invention is continuous and, as explained, takes place as the forms F are passing Seriatim between the rollers. Although the rollers are preferably set to inn continuously whenever the boarding or finishing machine or apparatus is in operation, they could be arranged to run only at such times as they are in contact with a sock. Y

The entire device may, as shown, be designed asia unitary attachment adapted for ready application to the exterior of a wall of the boarding chamber .4 of the machine-in line with the opening 3 in this wall through which the travelling forms F pass into the interior of the said chamber.

I claim:

1. In a boarding machine wherein vertically disposedY boarding forms with their foot portions uppermost, and capable of individually supporting knitted socks having unelasticated welts, are caused to travel through a vertical entrance kaperture into a boarding chamber in which said socks are subject to a fluid treatment phase, a weltstraightening device comprising, in combination, a pair of welt-straightening rollers covered with a relatively soft, yielding material, said rollers being arranged together side by side at a location intermediate the foot portions and the opposite ends of the travelling forms, immediately in advance of said vertical entrance aperture and with their axes in a common horizontal plane at opposite sides of Vand substantially parallel lto the vertical plane in which the forms travel, and means rotating the rollers in opposite directions whereby adjacent portions of the rollers move downwards together, away from the foot portions of the forms, suchwise as to enable the rollers to engage and stroke each sock welt downwardly, thereby causing it to lie flat .against and conform to lthe corresponding form as the latter passes edgewise between the rollers.

2. In a boarding machine wherein boarding forms, capable of individually supporting knitted socks having 11n-elasticated welts, are caused to travel through an entrance aperture into a boarding chmber in whichsaid socks are subject to a uid treatment phase, a weltstraightening device comprising in combination a pair of welt straightening rollers covered with a relatively soft, yielding material, said rollers being arranged together at a location intermediatethe foot and the opposite ends of the travelling forms, immediately in advance of said entrance aperture and with their axes at opposite sides of and substantially parallel to the plane in which the forms travel, two separate electric motors for driving the redirection away from the foot portions of the sock-sup-V porting forms suchwise as to enable the rollers to engage and stroke opposite sides of, and so iiatten, the welt of a sock supported on a form passed edgewise between the rollers, a common bracket carrying each electric motor and the roller driven thereby, andmanually controlled means engaged withsaid brackets and operable for simultaneously adjusting the two rollers together with their motors in a direction either towards or awayV from the j foot portionsV of the forms, for the purpose speciiied.

3. The combination according to claim 2, which includes manually operable rotary screw means for simultaneously adjusting the two rollers and their motors.

4. The combination according to claim 2, wherein the rollers are mounted for relative movement to increase or decrease the tension therebetween, and means are provided for eiecting adjustment of said rollers in this sense in order to vary the pressure exerted thereby against opposite sides of a board-supported sock passing therebetween.

5. The combination according to claim 2, wherein the axis of each electric motor is disposed at right angles to the rotational axis of the corresponding roller, and the spindle of the latter is adapted to be driven from the motor spindle through gearing.

6. In a boarding machine wherein vertically disposed boarding forms with their foot portions uppermost, and capable of individually supporting knitted socks having unelasticated welts, are caused to travel through a vertical entrance aperture formed in a wall of .a boarding chamber in which latter said socks are subject to a iluid treatment phase, a welt-straightening device comprising, in combination, a pair of welt-straightening rollers covered with a soft, yielding material, said rollers being arranged together -side by side at a location intermediate the foot portions and the opposite ends of the travelling forms, in advance of said vertical entrance aperture and with their axes in a common horizontal plane at opposite sides of and substantially parallel to the vertical plane in which the forms travel, two separate electric motors for driving the respective rollers independently in opposite directions whereby adjacent portions of the rollers move together in a direction away from the foot portions of the forms suchwise as to enable the rollers to engage and stroke opposite sides of, and so atten, the welt of a sock supported on a form passed edgewise between the rollers, a

common bracket structure carrying each electric motor and the roller driven thereby, each such bracket structure having formed therethrough a vertically tapped bore and, parallel with the latter a recess, two plain vertical guide rods extending through the said recesses and up and down which said common bracket structures are slidable, blocks attached to the aforementioned wall of the boarding chamber and in which the ends of said guide rods are supported, bearings mounted in said blocks, two vertical rotary screws which extend through the tapped bores in the common bracket structures and have their ends freely rotatable in the said bearings in the blocks, and manually controlled means operable for simultaneously rotating the screws and so adjusting the two rollers and their motors in a direction towards or away from the foot portions of the forms, for the purpose specified.

7. The combination .according to claim 6, wherein the ends of the Vertical guide rods are provided with co-axial eccentrics mounted to turn in further bearings in the blocks, said rods also being furnished with levers whereby they can be relatively turned to cause the common bracket structures to pivot about the axes of the rotary screws, for the purpose described.

8. The combination according to claim 7, wherein screws extending through the bracket structures and impinging on the guide rods are provided to lock the latter in position after an adjustment.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 968,497 Scholler Aug. 23, 1910 2,011,729 Reinhard Aug. 20, 1935 2,084,230 Wanamaker June 15, 1937 2,774,088 Liska Dec. 18, 1956 

1. IN A BOARDING MACHINE WHEREIN VERTICALLY DISPOSED BOARDING FORMS WITH THEIR FOOT PORTIONS UPPERMOST, AND CAPABLE OF INDIVIDUALLY SUPPORTING KNITTED SOCKS HAVING UNELASTICATED WELTS, ARE CAUSED TO TRAEL THROUGH A VERTICAL ENTRANCE APERTURE INTO A BOARDING CHAMBER IN WHICH SAID SOCKS ARE SUBJECT TO A FLUID TREATMENT PHASE, A WELTSTRAIGHTENING DEVICE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A PAIR OF WELT-STRAIGHTENING ROLLERS COVERED WITH A RELATIVELY SOFT, YIELDING MATERIAL, SAID ROLLERS BEING ARRANGED TOGETHER SIDE BY SIDE AT A LOCATION INTERMEDIATE THE FOOT PORTIONS AND THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE TRAVELLING FORMS, IMMEDIATELY IN ADVANCE OF SAID VERTICAL ENTRANCE APERTURE AND WITH THEIR AXES IN A COMMON HORIZONTAL PLANE AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF AND SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE VERTICAL PLANE IN WHICH THE 